Cool Summers and Warm Winters
by Jhelle
Summary: Summer is the perfect time to get rid of stress and bad vibes. But Zuko's fate proves to be too much for him to handle. Will his friends be able to help him as he faces his summer nightmare? Or will he face it alone? Set Modern Times. Zutara, Taang, Sukka.
1. Chapter 1: Zuko's Fate

_(A/N) Hey guys! I'm back and I'm in a writing mode and this idea (yet again) just popped out of my head a few moments before I started typing. I'm more into Taang than any of the other ships but then again, I just love Zutara and Sukka as well. So, this one's for all three 3_

_The story is mostly Zutara, though. But I might actually include some crack pairings in the later ._

_I'm not sure if this idea was already taken though, since I don't read that much Zutara stories (there are too many of them *cries*). I hope it isn't._

_ (Gods, I miss Avatar.)_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Zuko's Fate**

* * *

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…_

The students waited anxiously for the most anticipated signal as the clock slowly ticked away. Boys and girls of every classroom were in the edges of the seats ready to leave.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…_

The more the clocked ticked the slower and the more painful were the seconds to bear.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…_

A boy drummed his pencil onto his desk. His leg bounced up and down in anticipation. He can't wait to get the hell out of the classroom. A girl on the other side of the room checked her watched every five seconds to see if time has really moved.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…_

Silence.

_RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!_

And there it was: the last time that they'll ever hear that irritating school bell for the school year.

_Finally. Freedom at last_.

Everyone in that stuffy classroom stood almost immediately when they heard the signal. Suddenly, the irritating sound was music to their ears. They jumped for joy, howled, pumped their fists in the air, and threw the last of their school books and notebooks as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Looking at the scene, this is the sort of thing that happens every year. Sadly for the seniors, it's their last. For in the next few years, they will be far too busy to even think of summer while they're in college. So on that day, friends hugged, tears were shed, people talked about, there was noise everywhere.

And it was heaven.

For the teachers, it was a pandemonium. For the students, it was their idea of freedom.

The first thing that Zuko thought when the bell rung symbolizing the end of yet another torturous school year and the start of every student's most-awaited time of the year was:

_Oh, hell no._

There in the midst of all the cheering students and chaotic classroom, Zuko remained seated. He buried his face in his hands in despair.

_Why did it have to end?_

To be honest, he didn't like school. He just didn't want it to end this year (even if the school year was overly dramatic). It truly is ironic to look at. Normally he would be a little too excited to leave he'd be the first to exit the door. It was only this year that he wasn't.

He continued to act in despair. No one seemed to notice the boy with the scarred face in agony because they were all too busy cheering for their freedom.

Summer was most probably his favorite season. He loved the heat, the rising temperature, the freedom and most of all, the open air. Unlike most people, the heat bothered them. But Zuko has a different story. The only thing that was preventing him from looking forward to the summer was the fact that he has to bear this one problem. And for him, it was much of a big deal.

You see, the main reason why he didn't want summer to come was the fact that he knew that he will be alone for the rest of the break. His guardian and at the same time his uncle will return to his hometown and spend his summer there (with the rest of the people in that 'old-people organization' as Zuko would call it), leaving Zuko and his house. He didn't want to leave his nephew, the boy was like a son to him, but it was a necessity. He knew that he will be forcing the boy to return to his father in their estate (and doing so seemed painful even for him), but Zuko would prefer living alone rather than spending the rest of his summer with his despotic father.

His uncle just told him about his leave one week before so the boy didn't have time to think of a back-up plan. The news was all so sudden that Zuko couldn't believe it. And what was even worse was that his uncle was strictly told not to bring anyone along with him for the safety of their organization. What damage could his nephew possibly do? But since it is part of their rules, he must abide to them.

He knew that it was not possible to live alone while you are still under the age of eighteen. Who would finance him? A job was way too much of a hassle even if he works for the whole summer, and living alone would raise questions even if he could handle it. So the only solution he could think of is coming back to his father's house and bearing the fact that he'll be living there until he graduates the next year.

The fact that he'll live with his sister and see her everyday makes Zuko want to punch the nearest wall.

He restrained himself though. Thinking about living with Azula again was a nightmare coming to life. He swore to God when he was thirteen (after a traumatizing experience) that if he ever set foot on their territory and see her again, he promised he'd kill himself. Azula was beyond scary even if she's two years younger than he is.

He could imagine waking up and seeing his sister's evil face hovering above his like a snake.

He shuddered at the thought.

Zuko took a deep breath and forced himself to stand up. He planned to leave the room after everyone else was out. He walked cautiously and stopped in front of the classroom's door. His shoulders slumped and he silently cursed to himself. He wasn't even ready to step out of the door and face his summer nightmare.

When he finally left the room, he wasn't entirely surprised to find the hallway still crowding with students. He pushed himself to move but cautious enough not to accidentally step on someone's foot. With the mass of students and even with his height, it was still hard for him to navigate his way out of the hall. His locker was just nearby but it was far too crowded to even get there.

_Dammit, I made sure that I waited for them to leave and disperse,_ he thought and scowled_. I should've left when I had the chance._

It was hard getting there that he nearly tripped almost twice, but after shoving a few students out of his way, he finally made it to his locker. Once he opened it, Zuko wasted no time in grabbing the remainder of his things and shoving it all in his backpack. He made sure that he didn't leave anything for the teachers to find; even scrappy old test papers and the usual trash.

Just when he was about to close his locker and leave, someone at a distance called him.

"Yo, Scarface!"

_Agni, I hate that nickname._

He turned to find that total goof from the hockey team Sokka waving at him and approaching him with a smile on his face. Zuko smirked when the boy with the pony tail nearly fell flat on his face. But if it weren't for two students catching him, there would've been some damage.

"Thanks guys," he turned to thank them as quickly as he could. He grinned excitedly and turned to Zuko. "Hey, Scarface."

Zuko's eyebrows arched as he frowned in annoyance. "God, can you stop calling me that?"

Sokka chuckled, "Sorry dude. Trust me; it'll be the last time."

Zuko sighed. One look at Sokka and you know that the goof is in a good mood (well, he always is. It's his annoying personality that always irritates Zuko). It was contagious, though. He couldn't help but feel his spirits lifting up and forgetting about his problem for a moment. Sokka's always been the group's resident clown. He has the tendency to make people laugh so easily that Zuko didn't even realize it was possible. The guy was hopelessly hilarious and has a good sense of humor, especially when it comes to his undeniable sarcasm. Not so many people take him seriously, though. He jokes way too excessively that you rarely think of taking him seriously.

"You're in a good mood." Zuko stated.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's finally summer, Scarface! I can't wait to leave this place." Sokka exclaimed with so much enthusiasm as he gestured all around him.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I told you five seconds ago to stop calling me that."

"Dude, I can't help it. Ever since Toph started calling you that, I can't help but adapt."

"She calls me 'Sparky'."

"She actually calls you both. And are you saying that you preferred being called 'Sparky'?"

"Why the hell would I want a nickname that's as incredibly stupid as that?"

"Don't know. I thought you'd just like it better than 'Scarface'." Sokka laughed a bit.

Zuko groaned. He hated his scar. His father did that to him when he was thirteen. The memory of what happened haunted him every time he touched the scar on the left side of his face. He didn't want people to know what truly happened so he made everyone believe that he got it from an accident. But in reality, his father did that on purpose to hurt him. It was never an accident.

And now the damage done will never be forgotten. What's even worse is that he'll always have the memory embedded on his own face.

Sokka broke his thoughts when he didn't say anything for a while. "So," he started a bit awkwardly. "What do you plan on doing after we finally get the hell out of here?"

"Are you asking me out?" Zuko joked with a smirk.

Sokka's eyes widened in surprise. "What the hell? No! Are you saying that if I ask you about what you plan on doing later means I'm asking you out?"

Zuko can't help but laugh at his reaction. "Chill, dude. I was just making fun. 'Cause you sounded so awkward 'asking me out'."

"Right. Ha-ha." He said laughed sarcastically as the other boy continued to laugh. "Look, I'm not gay or anything just like all those fucked-up rumors said, alright?"

"I know you're not. I just thought it was kind of funny."

"Seriously though," Sokka changed topic almost immediately. "You wanna come with us? The Gaang and I are headed out."

"Where are you guys off to?"

"We're gonna hang out somewhere and eat pizza at Joe's," Sokka said and quickly added. "Toph's paying."

Zuko ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. "That girl owes me cash."

"Yeah, she owes me cash too. That's why she's paying."

"How much did she owe you?"

"A lot. I couldn't keep track or remember but I know it's a lot of money."

It's ironic that the richest girl in town still borrows money from 'commoners' and goes to a public school.

Toph Bei Fong is the daughter of very successful and extremely influential accountants who earn more money than five highly paid doctors combined. They're not only millionaires but billionaires and live in the exclusive part of town whereas their house towers over all the other houses. But despite being extremely rich, Toph doesn't care nor does she brag about it at all. In fact, she acts just like everyone else. She's simple about the way she dresses up that she doesn't even catch people's attention unlike all those other girls in school in their flashy outfits.

"It's high time she pays us anyway," Zuko said.

"I still don't get why she borrows, though."

"Hey, at least she's gonna pay us back."

Sokka nodded. He let a silent moment pass for a while before he asked casually, "So, you're in or not?"

"If she's paying, I'm in," he nodded with a smile. "Besides, I don't have anything else to do this afternoon, so why not?"

The two friends walked out the less crowded hallway and into the lobby where Katara promised to meet her brother Sokka. It was a pretty wide lobby so it wasn't so crowded. Most students who didn't have plans were in the courtyard enjoying their afternoon under the trees. Light poured in from the glass windows from wall above the door and allowed the room some light. They stood there and talked for a while. Even if there were chairs around they didn't bother to sit. Sokka told him that this summer he's finally going to take his driver's education since it's a necessity that he learns how to drive. Zuko heard that his father was always overseas so Sokka's the one in-charge…well; Katara's the one who's truly in-charge. Sokka just want to make it look like he is since he's older.

"Dad told me that if I finally learn how to drive properly he'll finance half of the car's price." He said proudly.

"Good luck on the 'learning how to drive _properly'_ part," Zuko smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"'Sup, guys."

Just when Sokka was about to demand a 'proper' explanation from Zuko, someone else spoke up. They turned their heads to see a short girl with jet black hair and jade eyes wearing a smug expression on her face. When Zuko saw her, he smiled.

"Hey, Toph."

"Hey, Short stuff," Sokka said. "What took you so long?"

"Don't call me that," she threatened. "I swear to God I regret allowing you to adapt to my culture."

"You give everyone a nickname. Why can't I? It only seems fair." he said smugly.

She shook her head at him and not without rolling her eyes.

Toph wasn't entirely short for her age. Everyone else was, according to her, so '_freakishly_' tall. Since the past few months, she did grow a little, though; much to her luck. Although, everyone knew that she has never been taller than any of the other members of the Gaang, Toph acts tougher than the rest of them.

From what Zuko observed ever since he met her, the girl loves the color green. She sported it on her clothes, school bag, sneakers, and even her notebooks and pens. She's quite tomboyish that there are times that you can mistake her as a boy (Toph hates it when that happens. And unfortunately, it happens pretty often). Zuko had never seen her act girlish at all.

"Hey, Zuko's coming with us," Sokka told Toph.

"Great," she said sarcastically. "More people I need to pay for."

"It's about time you did anyway," Zuko muttered.

"Look, it's not my fault I'm always short on cash."

"You're like the richest girl in school. How the heck is it possible for you to be even short in cash?" Zuko asked.

"I don't save, okay?"

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose for the second time since he left the classroom.

"I sure do hope you have the money this time," Sokka said.

"Yeah, Toph. Sooner or later, whether you like it or not, you need to pay us."

"Well what does it look like I'm doing now?"

"Um, guys?"

Their heads turned to see Suki with Katara and Aang as they come to approach them. The moment Sokka laid his eyes on Suki, his expression immediately changed. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"What took you so guys so long?" Toph asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"We had to stop by our lockers and apparently, I bumped into Suki and Aang on the way," Katara explained. "I'm sorry to let you guys wait but I had to stop by the teacher's faculty and they insisted on coming along. Did we take that long?"

"Nope. Not at all," Sokka said casually. "Toph just arrived actually." His hand ruffled the small girl's hair and it disheveled making her angry almost immediately. Suki thought it was cute and smiled a bit.

"Quit it, Sokka!" she exclaimed and shoved him with a heavy push. "I swear to God if you do that again, I'll shave you bald. No one touches my hair." She pointed to each one of them with a threatening finger. "Got it?"

Although the girl is scary, Zuko didn't feel threatened one bit. _No one is scarier than my sister_, he thought.

"So," Aang started to say. "Since we're all here, what are we waiting for?"

"Yeah," Suki said. "Can we go now? I'm starving."

Sokka had just recently recovered from Toph's shove that he came over to Suki and placed an arm around her. "Yeah, you heard the woman. I'm hungry too."

"Sokka, we just had lunch," Katara said.

"Katara, that was three hours ago. I'm hungry all over."

"Yeah, Katara. You know Sokka. He is never _not_ hungry," Suki patted her boyfriends head.

To be honest, Suki hates the fact that her boyfriend is a total pig when it comes to food. But at least she could accept him for that. After all, he isn't that bad of a guy.

Katara can't help but roll her eyes. "Fine."

At first no one moved, but then Sokka said,

"So, should we get going or not? The money won't stay forever, would it?" he looked over at Toph who glared at him.

"You're lucky I owe you that much," she said.

Together, the group headed out of the door. Sokka still had his arm around Suki who seemed not to mind. He practically does that if he's not holding her hand so she's used to it. They've  
been dating for almost a year and Katara still couldn't believe that someone actually lasted with her idiot of a brother for that long.

Zuko walked with the group casually. The only person who seemed to notice him going with the group was Katara. The others didn't seem to mind him. She knew that he was an official member of the Gaang but they didn't invite him. They thought he was going to be busy with his uncle after school so didn't mind inviting him to hang out with them. Sokka must have asked him to come so she didn't bother asking. After all ever since Zuko 'changed', he's part of their little group and they learned to accept him.

When they reached the parking lot, however, Zuko separated from them.

"Hey, Sparky," Toph called out to him. "Where are you going?"

"Yeah, Joe's is that way," Sokka gestured to the opposite direction Zuko was going.

"I'll catch up with you guys later. I just need to take care of some stuff," He said as he stepped in his Mazda.

"Okay, but if the pizza arrives and we start eating, don't expect for us to leave you any," Sokka exclaimed although Zuko wouldn't hear.

The rest of them just walked the way since Joe's wasn't very far; Sokka leading the group eagerly with Suki and the rest of them in tow. Zuko drove out of the parking lot, past his friends and cruised to his uncle's tea shop where he knew _they_ would be waiting.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2: Katara's Excuse

_(A/N) I forget to mention that this is AU. That means, Toph can see and Aang is not bald. :3 Chapter 2 people, enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Katara's Excuse**

* * *

"Thank you for coming! Hope to see you soon," Jin cheerily waved another customer good-bye as they began to exit the shop. She turned to the old man behind the counter. "How was that, Uncle Iroh?"

"That was pretty good for a start, Miss Jin," He smiled. "I'd say you'll do just fine here."

The young girl's eyes gleamed as she excitedly skipped back to the kitchen to check on the coffee she was asked to brew. The old man couldn't help but smile at his new co-worker as she carefully prepared the drink. It's nice to have someone so young and willing like Jin to help around the shop when his nephew was busy.

Today is Jin's first day of working at the Jasmine Dragon. She'll be working at the café for the rest of the summer. He knew that she needed the money and the old man was kind enough to employ her. From what she learned, Iroh's business started out as a small and simple teashop until he eventually upgraded it to a café. His nephew pointed out to him that maybe it was time for a change. Fewer people prefer drinking tea over coffee from what he heard. And much to his surprise, he earned more than he did by selling cakes and coffee.

Although tea wasn't on top of his menu, he still served them for the love of it.

"How's this, Uncle?" Jin held out a cup of _Cafe au Lait_ complete with latte art that took the form of a jasmine.

"That's beautiful, Miss Jin," He said with a warm smile. "It will bring a warm feeling to the customer."

Jin felt a sense of pride with her work as she delivered it to the waiting customer. At the sight of the coffee before him, he gave a warm smile to the girl who delivered it. She smiled politely in return.

Uncle Iroh was never more grateful to have someone like Jin assist him in his work. It's not every day that someone young and willing to help would walk through the doors. With someone as cheery and helpful as Jin helping about, it made him smile and forget for a short moment about the disturbing news that his brother broke to him this morning.

* * *

Zuko parked his Mazda on the drive way just in front of his uncle's café and stepped out of the car with ease. He took a small glance at the shop's window and saw some people give him a weird look. He frowned. His scar made him look like a rebel and a fugitive but most of the time he'd just ignore the looks people give him. And unfortunately, he was very much used to it.

He made his way to the shop's front doors and once he entered, he was surprised to find a familiar face carrying a tray of chinaware. Her hair was brown and was tied in two small braids that fell at either side of her neck. She may have not acknowledged his presence when he entered but he knew immediately who she was the moment he saw her.

"Jin?" He said with a look of surprise that he wasn't able to hide.

The girl turned her head to look at him and she grinned the moment she saw him. "Hey, Lee. Good to see you here."

Lee was supposedly his 'other' name when he first introduced himself to her. Back then, his true identity was his secret to everyone in town. Although he never told her his real name, she knew it was 'Zuko'. She still preferred calling him 'Lee', though.

"Where's uncle?" He asked her.

"He's out back," she said simply. "He told me you were coming."

Zuko nodded to her as he made his way to the kitchen. But not before glancing back at her and saying, "I never knew you applied for a job here…among all places."

"Yeah, today's my first day actually. Get use to seeing me every day," she gave a small laugh.

The moment he entered the kitchen, his uncle wasn't at all surprised to see him. He gave his nephew a big smile.

"Ah, nephew, so glad that you could stop by," he said.

"Hey, uncle," Zuko greeted him. "I won't be long, though." He hid a small frown from the old man and quickly added, "Unless father is here to see me. And…and Azula…Just as almost you told me."

The old man's smile faded and Zuko didn't fail to catch his abrupt change of expression. Iroh forgot about what Ozai told him this morning. He was reluctant for a short moment to say something. But before the young man could open his mouth his uncle said: "My brother called. They changed their plans of seeing you."

"Why?"

Uncle Iroh sighed and gestured for the young man to sit down so he could explain it to him better. "He told me that you have no place in his house."

"What?"

"Your father changed his mind of letting you stay with them," He said darkly. "You're not welcome there, Zuko. I'm sorry."

"This…this isn't a lie, is it?" He asked a bit hopeful. Even if he knew he wasn't lying to him one bit.

"And why would I lie to you if you wanted me to tell you the truth? I'm sorry, Zuko. But he doesn't want to see you."

_Ever_, he silently added.

Zuko sighed. Even if how painful it is to hear, he was used to this and half-expected that this would happen. He already had past experiences of being rejected by his father; banished from his family even. What his uncle told him didn't hurt as much as his past experiences did when he remembered them. To his surprise, he wasn't at all completely surprised or hurt to hear the news. In fact, he didn't know what he felt at that very moment.

"It's okay, uncle," Despite being a bit disappointed about what his father had said, he didn't want his uncle to worry too much. So he gave him a knowing smile. "I'll look for a different place."

_I hope._

"I'll help you find one. I'll be leaving in a week so we have time. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you about my leave sooner. Even I was a little surprised when I received their letter."

"I know. And it's okay. I'll do it on my own," Zuko stood from his chair and bowed politely to the man before him. "Thank you, uncle."

"I can convince my brother again to let you stay with him, if you'd like. I won't take no for an answer this time."

"I appreciate the help, uncle, but I'll spare you all the trouble. He might even hurt you if you pry. And I won't allow him to do so. I'm saying so myself that I personally wouldn't risk living with him. And you know that I wouldn't. Besides, he wouldn't want me there."

Zuko flashed a small smile as he turned and began to walk away. As his uncle watched him leave, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy and wished that he could do something to help him. He was his guardian and it was his duty. Just for now, though he'll let him be. Sighing, he stood up and continued on with his work.

* * *

"Hey, Sokka?" Aang asked the boy sitting across him.

"_Whur_t?" Sokka mumbled while chewing a slice of pizza.

"Do you know the lyrics of 'Gangnam Style'?" Aang asked while scratching a finger on his shaggy brown head. On his other hand, he held his phone for the older boy to see.

"Please, Twinkletoes," Toph rolled her eyes beside him. "That song's history."

"But this game's so fun and this is the last song before I get to the next level and finish the game. I need to fill in the remaining blanks to get there."

Sokka chewed on his pizza and swallowed. He stared at the app for a while before clearing his throat dramatically. "Aang, I memorize it by _heart_." He gestured to his chest with his palm.

"Really?" Aang asked enthusiastically. "Cause I was wondering if you know the lyrics that comes after – "

"Sokka, you hate that song," Katara pointed out. "Every time you hear it on the radio, you ask me to turn it off. _Completely._" She emphasized the last word.

"Hush, baby sis, and let me help Aang over here." Sokka smiled at her goofily. "Just let me do what I do best: helping people."

Katara couldn't help but roll her eyes at him as Suki suppressed a chuckle.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that he was her brother. He was goofy and was the class clown, she's Miss Sophisticated. They may look a-like but they are different in more ways than you could count. Despite the differences, she, however, learns to accept him for who he is. Slowly, though (it takes pretty long). It's hard to tolerate someone like Sokka especially when they're family. But she learned the long way how to love him like a true sister would.

As the two boys were busy giving their attention to Aang's game, Katara couldn't help but think that in three months her brother will become a senior. He still acts like a kid at seventeen and Aang on the other hand, is still tolerable at fourteen. He and Toph are incoming freshmen and just like everyone else, are looking forward to finally experience being in high school…well, at least Aang is. Toph isn't as excited compared to Aang.

"Wow, Sokka," Aang grinned as they finally completed the game. "I didn't know we had that much luck. Look, Katara!" He beamed. "I finished the game."

Sokka raised a brow at him. "Ehem?"

"…With the help of Sokka, of course."

She smiled at him. "That's nice, Aang."

_Aang will forever remain a kid._ She silently thought.

It was Toph's turn to roll her eyes. "Please, he so totally cheated."

"What? No I didn't," Aang defended.

"Not you. Sokka."

Sokka glared at her. "I'll have you know that I didn't win the game through cheating. Besides, what kind of sore loser would tell the world he won a game if he cheated on it?"

Toph coughed. "You would." Remembering the game of air hockey Sokka had with a random guy last week in the arcade. She smirked at him.

"Hey, but that was just once!" He defended. "I only cheated because the guy was cheating."

They continued to argue, but Katara ignored them. Instead, she turned her attention back to her plate. Glancing at the empty seat in front of her, Katara can't help but notice the fact that Zuko still has not yet arrived. She gazed at the plate of pizza they prepared for him across from her and frowned.

Toph stopped arguing with Sokka for a moment when sensed Katara tense a bit. She set her gaze to Katara and realized that her friend was staring at the plate beside her and smirked. "Chill, Sweetness. Prince Charming will be here soon."

At the sound of Toph's new nickname for Zuko, she glared at the girl with jade eyes.

"What? You seem so worried. I _had_ to say something, right?"

"That was completely unnecessary, Toph."

Suki giggled. "But you did seem to be worried for a moment there, Kat."

"What? No I wasn't. I was just thinking…"

"Thinking about what?" Toph pressed. A wide grin was spreading on her face.

"It's summer, right?"

"Umm, do you see snow anywhere, Katara? 'Cause all I can think about is that it gets hotter by the hour."

Aang laughed. "Of course it is, Katara. What about it?"

"I was thinking…what if we go on vacation?"

Everyone stops to stare at her for a moment and a wave of awkwardness soon follows.

Suddenly conscious of what she said, Katara's eyes darted to each one of them. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Aang was the first to speak up. "Um, no you didn't." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "We just thought maybe…"

"That we already had planned this before?" Toph filled in. "Remember? Two weeks on Ember Island or some other Island? Sponsored by Sparky and me?"

"We actually planned that before school ended," Sokka supplied. "In the exact same spot we're sitting on right now."

"Yeah, that. And you sort of forgot, I think?" Suki said.

"Or maybe you were too busy thinking of a way to change topic about _Prince Charming_," Toph grinned evilly at her and Suki chuckled.

"What? No! That's not it. I was just – "

"Hey, guys," Zuko came in and casually took a seat in front of Katara. "Sorry I'm late." He started chewing on his cold pizza that has been there ever since the pan arrived. "Did the pizza arrive too early or did I just take too long to arrive?"

For a moment Zuko was too busy eating that he didn't notice everyone was staring at him. "What?" He said.

"Nothing," Toph said smirking. "We were just talking about you." Then she leaned over to Katara. "Right, _Katara_?"

The older girl glared at Toph. But Zuko ignored that.

"Really?" Zuko, still eating, asked nonchalantly. "What about?"

Suki smiled. "Oh, she was – "

"Talking about you sponsoring our trip to Ember Island this year," Katara said a little too quickly before Suki could finish.

Zuko was yet again unsurprised. "Oh yeah, that."

"I was thinking," she continued on. "We should set a proper date and time for it since we're all leaving next month, right?"

At the word 'date', the two other girls snickered. Katara shot them both a death glare but Zuko failed to notice it.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "You guys take care of that. I'm already paying for it."

"But, dude," Sokka spoke up. "It's your island. Why do you still need to pay?"

"That's why. It's my _family's_ island. And I'm sponsoring half of the trip. As for Toph's part, the other half."

Toph just gave a thumbs-up.

Aang gave her a look. "I can't believe your parents agreed to pay for the trip. That's so unlike them."

"Well, they promised me that if all my grades were at least above a C, they'll do anything for me this summer," she said casually. "And so I gave them what they wanted. Dad was more than thrilled. So when Sugar Queen here heard the news," She gestured to Katara. "She asked me a little favor to help with our Gaang's vacation. So I end up paying for half of it. As the kind girl I am, I did not hesitate. I guess I owe it to her for being such a good tutor."

Over the year, Katara has been secretly tutoring Toph just so she could pass. Without her, Toph wouldn't have made it.

"Your parents still don't know I've been helping you?"

"Nope," she grinned. "They think I'm a natural independent genius."

Katara couldn't help but smile at that. Sokka on the other hand, thought it was ironic.

They continued to chat until they felt like leaving. The whole time, Zuko was debating on whether to tell them about his problem or not. But his brain told him that now wasn't the best time to break it to them. They all seem so happy that telling them wasn't exactly the best idea; they'll carry the burden along with him when they find out. But he can't hide it forever could he?

By twilight, they started to leave. Zuko offered to drive Sokka and his sister home.

_Maybe I should tell at least one of them…_ He thought.

And the first person that came to his mind that he planned on telling was Katara.

* * *

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3: Sokka's Habit

_(A/N) I changed my pen name to __**'Jhelle'**__ because it sounded pretty unique, but I assure you that I'm still the same old __**Catchenneh**__! Anyways, I hope you enjoy chapter three!_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Sokka's Habit**

* * *

It's officially day one of summer vacation, and Sokka woke up as if he was doused with cold water.

He jerked into a sitting position when the sound of his alarm clock pierced his ears. His clock emitted a noise so irritating that he swore that it shook his eardrums. It vibrated violently as it shook the bedside table just to his right.

The boy with a bad case of bed hair scowled in irritation.

He couldn't believe it; its day one of his summer and he's already up _this_ early? It's only _nine o'clock_ for Tui's sake! What kind of idiot forgot to set the alarm off the night before?

Then realization struck him.

_Oh yeah,_ he thought. _I'm that idiot._

Sokka grumped in frustration and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He knew that it sounded stupid but his morning was already ruined by the stupid alarm clock his sister gave him. And to make matters even worse, it woke him up from the best dream he had in his entire life. And unfortunately for him, every single detail that the dream contained was entirely forgotten.

_Great. Just great._

Cursing inwardly, he clumsily took hold of the clock in his disheveled state and fumbled with the switch. With little difficulty, he turned the thing off. Grunting in frustration, Sokka pulled his covers over his head hoping that sleep will overtake him once more.

Just when Sokka was in the brink of slumber, his sister entered his room with a big smile on her face.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head," she exclaimed as she opened the blinds of his room, allowing light to enter.

Sokka groaned from under the covers and pulled his comforter even tighter around him.

Still wearing the same excited expression, she hopped over to his bed and looked down at him.

"Good morning, Sokka!"

He groaned. "Leave me alone, Katara!"

_I should've locked the door…_

Katara began pulling at his comforter feeling slightly irritated.

"Come on, Sokka," she grunted as she pulled. "It's already a quarter to ten."

"I don't care," his voice was muffled from under the comforter. "Leave me alone in peace, woman!"

She continued to pull with little success.

"But you promised!"

"Yeah, promised my ass," he said with bitter sarcasm.

"It's your turn to do the chores today, remember? Gran-Gran told me to wake you up."

"Can't you just take over for me?"

"Nu-uh, not today," she said bluntly.

Sokka gripped his comforter as his sister continued to pull. She was able to drag it away from him but he continued to hold it firmly. Katara struggled to take the whole thing away, but Sokka was stronger even if he had just woken up. Knowing that her brother won't give up, she finally let go of the comforter and marched towards him.

Realizing that Katara has finally let go, Sokka immediately pulled it towards him and wrapped himself once more in a cocoon with the soft sheets. He closed his eyes and smiled at his success.

Katara stopped beside his bedside table. She sighed and crossed her arms while looking at him. Her brother was such a complete sloth and acted more like a child than a teenager. He always lazed around while she tried her best to keep busy. She gets to do her part for six days of every week during summer and he only gets to do his for one day. _One_ day! And sadly for him, that day's today. Yet, he purposely forgot his responsibilities.

She stared at the alarm clock she bought him and frowned; she bought it for a good reason and it was _still _useless.

Gran-Gran was worried that Sokka will continue with his lazy habit so she strictly told her granddaughter not to take over for him. Katara wanted to protest that he might not be able achieve anything (but the opposite), but the old woman just smiled and assured her that if she could do it so could he.

_Yeah right._

She sighed. It was his turn to do the chores today and her turn to relax just as they agreed.

Still, here he was lazing around with that cursed comforter on a very soft bed.

While standing there, Katara tried to think of another alternative to get him on his feet. She smirked deviously when an idea finally popped in her head.

_This ought to work._

Katara leaned over to where her brother was sleeping. His back was turned from her so he couldn't see her. Katara took this as an advantage and smiled evilly.

"Hey, Sokka," she said softly but loud enough to be audible. "I forgot to mention something when I first came here."

Although he heard her, he did not reply.

She continued, "Suki called earlier."

His eyes shot open at the sound of his girlfriend's name. Katara saw his body tense a bit and smirked.

"What did she say?"

"Oh, nothing too surprising," she said absentmindedly.

He waited for her to continue. But when she didn't say anything, he tried again.

"Well, what it is?"

Katara leaned over once more with a smug expression that Sokka couldn't see and told him:

"She's coming in ten minutes."

At that, Sokka shot up and without another word of confirmation to Katara, he bolted straight to the bathroom.

Katara had to stifle a laugh at her brother's reaction. She couldn't believe that it actually worked on him. And it was so easy! She knew that he'd do anything for his beloved girlfriend so it was the best possible excuse. Besides, she wasn't entirely lying. Suki _was _coming. Only a little later than what Katara told him.

Feeling rather victorious, Katara walked out of her brother's room.

Twenty minutes later, Sokka found himself mopping the floor while his sister lounged on the couch feeling a little too preoccupied with her reading.

"Katara, you freaking lied to me," Sokka hissed as he continued to mop.

"Tell me, Sokka," she said casually as she turned another page from the book she was reading. "Which part did I lie to you about? 'Cause I really don't remember lying to you one bit."

"You said Suki will be coming."

"I didn't lie about that."

"And that she'll be here in ten minutes!"

Katara laughed softly. She knew he'd say that, "Oh that. Okay, I lied about that." Other than that, though, she didn't lie about anything else.

"See?!" Sokka pointed an accusing finger at his sister.

She laughed again feeling slightly amused with him.

Sokka grunted as he continued to mop around the living room. He couldn't believe that he fell into another one of Katara's tricks. This time, he didn't know it was coming.

"Don't worry, Sokka," she said. "I didn't lie about anything else other than that."

He glared at her. "You tricked me."

"And I did it for a good purpose. Gran-Gran would be proud."

If Sokka would only allow himself to admit, his Grandmother being proud of him didn't really seem such a bad thing. Still, he hated doing his chores.

"Besides, Suki will be here soon," Katara said. "And when she comes, I'll be off duty and free to do whatever I want...just for today."

"Wait, what do you mean you'll be 'off duty'," Sokka asked, clearly confused. "You're not even doing anything."

"It means that I can leave the responsibility of keeping an eye out for you if you're doing your chores to your girlfriend. Now can you keep quiet so I can read, Sokka?"

"Hey, you're the one who started talking."

As the minutes go by, Katara was more than thrilled to see that Sokka was doing things all on his own without her telling him what to do. She couldn't help but appreciate that. And even more surprising is that he was working three times faster than she herself normally does. Katara was relatively impressed with him that she couldn't help but smile. Unfortunately, what she didn't know was that Sokka was doing the total shortcut of almost everything. Indeed he was cleaning the house, but not all throughout just like she expected him to. He only mopped the living room, pulled the weeds out from only one side of the garden, washed the dishes without using the soap, and dusted the nightstands in his grandmother's bed room only. He didn't even bother to clean his own room which was a complete mess.

He was lazy but kept quiet about it. Katara didn't have to know. He was already satisfied when he saw her smile. According to his theory, that means she was already pleased and contented by what he was doing. But once she comes to realize that the dishes still smelled greasy, and then he's in for trouble.

For now, he was praying for his luck that she would not notice.

Suki came in an hour later and Sokka was more than happy to see her. By then, Sokka was already done cleaning the yard. When she saw him taking the trash out, she couldn't help but smile at her 'responsible' boyfriend.

When Sokka grinned excitedly and tried to hug his girlfriend as a greeting, Suki held up both her hands to stop him.

"Whoa, whoa there, Sokka," she chuckled as she stepped back.

Sokka's hands were still spread apart in an attempt embrace when he said, "Why, Suki? What's wrong?"

"You just took out the trash five seconds ago with your bare hands and you plan on hugging me?"

"Sorry about that," He laughed sheepishly and put his arms down. "How about a kiss instead?" Sokka puckered his lips and waited for his girlfriend to kiss him.

Suki just laughed and patted his cheek as she walked away from him and moved towards the house. Although slightly disappointed, Sokka grinned and ran to catch up with her.

"Hey, Katara," Suki called once she stepped through the open front door. "You in here?"

Katara emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron. She gave her a warm smile. "Hi, Suki."

"Your brother's filthy. Why am I not surprised?"

Katara laughed. "Yeah, you probably won't believe this but he's been doing his chores."

"Oh really?" Suki turned to Sokka and smirked.

"Yep," Sokka boasted. "This place is spick and span thanks to _yours truly_."

Suki chuckled as she entered the kitchen. Although she believed every word, she honestly thought that Sokka cleaning up is some cruel joke.

She saw Katara busy chopping vegetables on the counter. Her back was turned and she wore her hair in a low ponytail.

"Where's your Gran-Gran?" she asked.

"She left this morning," Katara explained. "Gran Pakku had to show her something. It's probably a date 'cause she said that they'll be back before dinner."

Suki nodded. "So it's just you and Sokka today?"

"Yup. And now you're here." Sokka stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Not that I'm complaining." He said to her softy. Suki felt blood rush to her cheeks.

She allowed herself a soft smile as Sokka swayed them gently. Katara glanced behind her and smiled secretly. Her brother and her best friend are perfect for each other (no irony intended) and no one has ever disagreed with that matter. She couldn't help but feel happy for them.

Although she never told anyone, she wished that maybe someday someone will be able to love her like that and treat her with the respect she deserves. Boys always looked at her with desperate desire and something else that she didn't wanted to think about. She deserved to be treated properly just like every girl out there.

Her expression softened as she remembered something. But the other two were too busy to notice that.

Suki reluctantly released herself from Sokka's embraced and walked over to where Katara was standing. She casually stood beside her.

"So, Katara," she said as she eyed her ingredients laid out on the counter. "What are you cooking?"

"Salad and some fried chicken," she said simply. "Sokka wanted meat so it's the least thing I could do."

"You know me too well, Baby Sis," Sokka said.

"Everyone knows you prefer meat, Sokka. We wouldn't want you starve."

"Do you need help with anything?" Suki asked her.

"Sure. Could you prepare the chicken while I chop these?" Katara gestured to the vegetables lying in front of her.

Suki nodded and smiled. She wasted no time and did as she was told. Soon enough, the two girls were busy cooking hand in hand while Sokka prepared the table for lunch. Fearing that his sister might notice something he didn't want her to notice (i.e. the dishes were only washed with water and without the use of soap); he volunteered to do it himself. Unfortunately for him, the plates that he prepared were different from the ones they used this morning. They were cleaner and Sokka failed to notice the mistake. When he was through, he sat down and waited eagerly for lunch to be served. All that cleaning made him hungry and he couldn't wait any longer.

"Is it me, or is Sokka being awfully good today?" Suki said when she took the seat beside him.

Katara came in and placed the food in front of them. "Please," she scoffed. "I'm enjoying it while it lasts." She took the seat across from her and began to serve her plate with the green salad.

Sokka took a bite of his chicken. "Hey," he chewed. "I'm always good."

"Yeah, you are."

"Mmhm."

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly for them. After lunch, Sokka washed the dishes just as Katara ordered him to. Suki volunteered to keep an eye on him, and he didn't mind her standing there watching him one bit. This time, he promised himself to use soap since his girlfriend watched him work. It didn't take long for him to finish; she helped him dry the plates and glassware so he could finally take a break.

Katara spent her afternoon trying to finish reading her novel while Sokka and Suki left the house to enjoy their afternoon somewhere else. Before they left, they invited Katara to come with them but she said that she preferred to stay at home and relax. She waved them off and told them to enjoy their afternoon together.

Now Katara was finally alone at home relaxing, just as she told them…

And sadly, it was depressing.

Two hours passed, and it started getting really lonely and boring.

She successfully finished the book she was reading from cover to cover twenty minutes after the couple left. She felt so tired from reading that she allowed her eyes to rest a little.

She took a short nap for about an hour. After that, she ran out of other things to do.

The house was already clean enough (thanks to Sokka), she didn't have any school work to do since school just ended, and dinner was still three hours away so cooking at that time wasn't really necessary. She flipped through the channels of the television and sadly nothing good was up. This was one of those hours of the day that there is clearly nothing to do.

She stood up from the couch to look for something else to do and found nothing.

_I wish I should've gone with the duo._

She stepped out of the house and into the backyard. She found her bike leaning against the wall and figured that it wouldn't hurt to test drive it if it was still capable. It's been years since it was last ridden but not too long for it to be rusted. She carefully mounted it and took a few spins. Luckily for her, it's still in good condition.

She figured that she could ride around town to at least get some exercise. And better yet, see if there is anything new and interesting in the neighborhood. The air outside was humid but not too hot for a stroll. Summer was already there but not in its fullest yet, however.

Katara placed a note on the fridge telling whoever gets home first that she took a spin. Hopefully she can arrive at least an hour before dinner. She knew that she still has some cooking to do.

She took the bike to the front yard and started paddling at a normal speed. It feels good to ride a bike again. The wind whipped around her hair refreshingly as she maneuvered across the sidewalk without even a specific destination to think of. All she knows is that the bike won't take her too far that she'll get lost.

She was lucky that there weren't so many people taking a walk or jog that afternoon so there wasn't much traffic.

As she paddled along, she noticed that the neighborhood didn't really have anything new about it. Not so many people moved nor are there any new houses she's never seen before. Everything was still the same old thing.

She passed a bunch of mediocre shops in the neighborhood that didn't seem too interesting. Not so many people seemed to go out during this time of day.

Katara slowed down when she saw a familiar structure come to view. She never thought that the bike would take her here. It was an old building that has obviously been recently renovated to look new again. Its design was simple and at the same time very majestic. Its walls were white and the roof was green with four dragons perching on each corner's edge. It looked like a traditional Asian restaurant, but Katara knew that it was something else.

The sign on top of the shop read 'The Jasmine Dragon' with a smaller text at the bottom that says 'Café'.

On one of the shop's glass windows, she saw a familiar face peering out. He was wearing a green apron around his waist and was holding an empty tray. He had a scar on the left side of his face that she'd recognize anywhere. When their eyes met, she smiled at him and he turned away a little too shyly.

_I knew you'd be here._

A smile tugged on her lips and she dismounted her bike. She could use something refreshing.

* * *

**To be continued…**

_(A/N) I would really like to know how this story's going so far and it would really make my day if you could give me a **review** about. Be it bad or good, I just want to know how I'm doing. Thanks!_


	4. Chapter 4: Unknown Reasons

_(A/N) I apologize for the delay. This chapter has been sitting around for a couple of weeks and I nearly decided to put it off. But I didn't! :D I was distracted by another plot lately in the past few days that I just had to type it first. I want to recommend it to you Zutarians and multi-shippers out there: _Everything is Temporary_. Please read it :D I know it's just the prologue, but it will progress!_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Unknown Reasons**

* * *

Zuko's morning didn't really go exactly as planned.

And needless to say, he was_ almost_ disappointed.

Almost.

He didn't have a schedule or anything, just the usual routine: waking up before the sun was even peeping on the horizon, outdoor meditation to allow the rays of sunlight to bathe his face, the usual morning callisthenic exercises to keep him toned, and finally, a refreshing morning shower after the somewhat intense work-out.

It was a quarter to nine in the morning when he woke up that day: that's at least two and half hours past the usual time he rises from bed.

He groaned as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He didn't realize how tired he was the other night until he finally collapsed on his bed. It was a peaceful, dreamless and uneventful evening…until morning came.

And admittedly, he was disappointed with himself for somehow 'sleeping in', but he was even more disappointed that morning had to come. He slept so peacefully that night that it's considerably one of the best sleeps he'd ever had, and he felt that he could just lie there forever.

But apparently, he had to wake up some time. Today was day one of his official period of temporary 'freedom' so there's no reason for him to blame himself for sleeping in. And there's no harm in breaking the traditional routine every once in a while, right?

Just when he could completely pull himself off the bed, someone knocked on the door.

"Zuko! Rise and shine, nephew," a rather weary voice said, muffled from the other side of the door.

Uncle Iroh entered the room with a warm smile on his face. He looked at the young man in mild amusement.

"You slept in, haven't you?" he asked with the usual mirth in his tone.

Zuko didn't say anything as he fixed his covers. His uncle walked casually towards the windows on the other side of the room to open the blinds. Sunlight poured in and lit up the entire room.

"Your friend Miss Bei Fong came in the café early this morning," Iroh said, with his back still turned from him.

"Really?" Zuko arched his lone eyebrow in disbelief. What was Toph doing there this early? "What did she want?"

He smiled. "Just a cup of some regular tea; she wasn't really there for anything else, actually. I thought for a moment that she was here for something important. It turned out that the young lady just wanted to visit an old friend." Iroh said, and Zuko noted that Iroh was referring to himself and not him.

He shrugged. "Well, that's a first for her. Why couldn't she wait 'til later?"

Iroh chuckled slightly. "She has her reasons." He walked over to the door he just came in and addressed the younger man over his shoulder. "Since you've risen late, I might as well extend your shift so Jin could have her break earlier than the usual. She told me that she has some important business to attend to. It would be nice for someone to cover for her, yes?"

Zuko groaned and Iroh smiled in an uncharacteristic manner that the young man never knew he was even capable of. "It wasn't in my intentions to."

"I know. But you have responsibilities to uphold." He turned to leave. "Get dressed and come down to the café quickly. The place is starting to swarm with customers."

* * *

Zuko was forced to skipped the rest of his morning routine (including the meditations and the regular exercise, much to his dismay) just to make it in time for the beginning of his shift. Uncle Iroh didn't do more than threaten him with an extra hour, but that alone could ruin his plans for the afternoon.

Trudging down the stairs, he made his way to the back of the kitchen to retrieve his green apron. Ever since his uncle opened up the Jasmine Dragon, Zuko was dragged into the scenery, despite himself. He has been his Uncle's assistant and employee for as long as he could remember. The first few days of the job two years ago had been awful. He wasn't so used to working for people, even if the owner of the establishment was his own uncle. But as the days go by, he allowed himself to adjust almost subconsciously. Uncle noted the boy's progress to him, and for the first time (and yet again, despite himself), Zuko actually felt really proud of his own being that he almost allowed himself to pat his own shoulder.

Although he wouldn't admit it out loud, but the longer he does it, the more certain he is about the work's appeal to him. It kept his mind off of all the many things that had always bothered him, and something in his character snapped as he progressed. That's when he actually allowed a metamorphosis to take place and a change to happen.

His uncle had been a father to him for all these years that he felt himself crumbling. It was hard for him to accept that his own father wouldn't do much as to give him a second glance.

Thinking of his own father, Zuko almost touched the scar on his face but he stopped himself midway. He frowned. What could Ozai possibly want from him just to deem himself worthy of a son again? The mere thought had always bothered him constantly. From all he knew, the man hadn't done anything but hurt him and his mother. Ozai's precious daughter was even given more respect than his own wife. And Zuko was the man's own son, for Agni's sake. From what he knew, the monster had killed his own wife and sent his only son away, cursing him that he could only come back when he finally redeemed himself and had restored his honor.

His expression darkened.

Honor.

The word itself almost tasted like honey.

_Almost._

If only he wasn't cursed to it.

Tying his apron, he slowly made his way towards the kitchen and spotted Jin busying herself decorating the coffee placidly. She turned her head slightly when she caught a glimpse of her fellow co-worker enter.

"Hey, Lee," her pretty face brightened up.

Zuko nodded towards her as a greeting and sauntered over to the sink.

Jin's grin widened a little when she caught sight of the lightly disheveled hair on his head. "You slept in for the first time, uncle told me. That's a pretty big deal for you, huh?"

He merely ignored her as he picked up a plate and washed it.

She continued to smile, completely oblivious to the fact that her co-worker was not in the mood to talk. "I mean, I wonder what time you guys would normally rise on regular days. Four, five… six A.M.?" she giggled slightly. "I can't even imagine myself doing as early as five every single day."

Again, Zuko said nothing and pointedly continued to ignore her.

The girl made a face, turned back towards her work and sighed. She had wanted to ask if something was bothering him, but right now, she decided, might not be the best course of action. From what she knew (based on experience), Lee had always let his problems consume him for some undistinguished reason. Jin came to a conclusion that it probably won't be a smart idea to press him with her questions any further. But still, she can't work with all the negative energy building up in the room. She had to do something.

"Hey, you okay?" Jin asked over her shoulder. She made a smart move by keeping her feet rooted to where she was standing.

She heard him sigh in exasperation. "I'm fine." Then he muttered something inaudibly that she didn't quite catch.

"You know," she said as-a-matter-of-factly. "It's not a good idea to be working in a café if you're all about negative energy."

Zuko had the choice to ignore her again but he chose to say something for his sake. "Who says something about negativity? I'm not negative."

The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. "Sure you are, big guy," she said in mild sarcasm. This time, Jin made a move to amble towards him and touch his arm lightly. Zuko nearly flinched from the contact. "Hey, relax. I'm not gonna pester you about your problems if you don't want to talk about it. But if you're gonna continue to act like this then I'm not sure if I could work with you."

Zuko's eyebrow narrowed and he looked at her incredulously. "It's only what, your second day here and you're acting as if you could just tell me what to do?"

"I'm not," she said calmly. "I was just trying to help. It's your fault you're moping around for some reason, and I couldn't be of any help to you. Not now, maybe. I know you won't allow me to meddle with your issues." She turned to grab a towel and dried the plates her co-worker had washed. "Now stop with the dejection, Lee, and put on your smiley face. You're supposed to be happy today."

He looked at her again, skeptically this time. That was a joke, right? "Why does that always sound so mandatory?"

"That's because it is," she grinned. "And everyone else should. It's such a nice day and you're making it look in contrary."

* * *

Just as her employer had permitted, Jin's morning shift ended earlier today. She was only given an extended thirty minutes for her lunch break but the girl had already considered that enough time. When Iroh had asked her about her affair, Jin just giggled timidly and told him that it was quite personal. The old man simply smiled and nodded in understanding before sending her off.

Once the girl had left, Zuko was relieved to be finally alone in the kitchen for the time being. Sure, Jin was good company and she kept herself busy most of the time, trying her hardest not too aggravate him (and usually failing miserably), but he couldn't help but admit that sometimes that just her mere presence was enough to annoy him for another unspecified reason.

They didn't have a dark past together or anything. Not that there really was any. Sure, they went on a date once and admittedly, it was a great night. But then again, there was something just really annoying about that girl. Maybe it's because of that entire Ty Lee-ish aura she spurts at him. Zuko shuddered internally.

Okay, incidentally, there's really no denying the fact that something always bothers him for an unspecific reason. He never really got to grasp what it truly was. But when he does, it only happens when he's alert and paying attention, and it had never been something big from the start. It's not just with Jin; he has that problem with a lot of people; even with his friends in some occasions.

Having another fellow co-worker in the small café lessened the burden of the job but at the same time he had to force himself to adjust to the people working with him. Zuko was honest enough to admit that he is not a people-person (as his sister would call it). And usually, the employees his uncle hires are both hyper-enthusiastic and only planning on working part-time on the job. They only stayed for a temporary time being. No one has really lasted more than six months. And there's a big possibility that Jin is not an exception.

Zuko and Jin weren't exactly the only employees Iroh has working for him at the moment. There was Pao, a man who used to run the old teashop until Iroh bought the establishment. Now he works for Iroh as the assistant manager. But currently, he's out of town for a personal reason. He'd be back when Uncle Iroh leaves for his temporary exodus. With him gone, Iroh only has the duo left with him for the short time being.

An hour after his lunch break, Zuko was leaning against the counter, arms crossed on his chest, brooding in his thoughts distractedly while waiting for the coffee to brew. Jin had an extra thirty minutes on her schedule and he scowled in irritation. Uncle is such a softie for smiling faces like hers. It annoyed him to the depths of his being.

Not that it truly mattered. He had more important things to be internally pissed about.

And when that thought hit him, he swore he wished his mind will suddenly go blank. It reminded him of his problems all too clearly: since Ozai told him firmly that he never wanted to see his face, the boy assumed, for as long as the man lived, Zuko had nowhere else to stay but here. But who, besides his uncle, would willingly help him in his time of need? Surely uncle would want him to continue his service for the Jasmine Dragon, but with Pao in-charge, it would be a different story. And Uncle would be gone for more than six months! The date of his return is still unknown to them. Who knows when he'd come back?

It took a lot of debate with his ego, but he had finally decided (so much for his ego) that he needed to talk to his friends about the subject beforehand. Katara was the first person he'd want to consult. Knowing her, she'd understand and hopefully, she'd even find ways to help him. Never once in his life had Zuko felt the need to act desperate. Until now.

_I'm so gonna regret this someday._

Then again, no matter how unmanly he'd deem himself at the moment, it could actually do him some good.

A few minutes later, Jin came back just in time: ten minutes before her extended lunch period ended. She looked quite pleased, smug and satisfied. Just by seeing that grin playing on her face, Zuko choked down on his questions. He didn't want to know what happened, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Hey, Lee! Did I miss anything, or did you miss me?"

And just as he told himself he wouldn't say anything, he kept his word with dignity. With a frown, he took an empty tray and towel with him as he left the kitchen, leaving the smug-looking Jin without another word.

For the next few minutes, Zuko kept himself busy as he cleaned the used tables and chairs. Work had always got him to forget the things he willed away. He was relieved that fewer patrons had come to enjoy tea and coffee in the afternoons. With only five people, including a couple, occupying the tables, the place was close to being empty.

The sun that had reached the center of the sky at noon slowly started making its decent. Light poured in the interior at an angle and it got his attention. Zuko ambled his way towards the table closest to the windows, holding an empty tray in his hands. He loves the feel of the sun at this time of the early afternoon. It was when the rays were at their moderate warmth. He glanced casually out of the transparent glass casement, watching the streets as the sun bathed it in a pleasant afternoon glow.

Suddenly something caught his attention: a blue bike pulled on the curb, its mocha-skinned and dark haired driver was someone he'd know anywhere.

It was Katara. He smiled. He'd recognize her even from behind. She was the exact person he wanted to see at the moment concerning all his troubles.

His gaze caught hers and she smiled. Zuko felt his face growing warm (and no he was sure it wasn't from the sun's heat) and he turned away rather shyly. With long strides, he quickly made his way back to the kitchen to set the empty tray in pile with all the others. He didn't know why she was here, but he'd use her presence as an advantage.

* * *

The moment Zuko disappeared from her view on the window; Katara chained her bike and headed towards the entrance of the Jasmine Dragon.

As soon as she entered the café, she scanned the area and took a seat in one of the empty tables. A few moments later, a waitress was standing beside her, offering a folded menu.

"Hello and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon," the girl bowed politely. "I'm Jin." She took out a small memo pad and pen. "What would it be?"

"Hi," Katara smiled at her. "I'll just have a glass of iced tea, please?" Jin nodded and scribbled down the order. "I just really need something cold, if that's okay."

"Will there be anything else?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I'm good."

And with that, Jin made her way back towards the kitchen.

Sighing, Katara let her gaze and thoughts drift elsewhere for a short few seconds until a voice to her left interrupted her train of thoughts.

"Um… hey."

The girl whirled her head towards the source of the voice and looked up to see who it belonged to. "Hey, Zuko," she felt herself smiling genuinely. He was still wearing the employee's green apron. She wondered for a short moment if he was busy. But judging by the fact that he didn't seem to be doing anything at all, she assumed that he was in for a short break.

"Hi." He made to take the empty seat directly in front of her, but suddenly stopped short and paused. "Um," he scratched the back of his head shyly. "Is there…anyone you're expecting?"

She shrugged, "Not that I know of."

He nodded and slid down to take the seat across hers and rested his arms on the table. Zuko kept his gaze locked on her face but Katara had focused her eyes on anything but him.

"So," she started a little awkwardly. "What's up? Don't you have any…'_waitering'_ to do?"

"'Waitering'? Is that even a word?" He chuckled lightly, despite himself. "I think 'waiting' is more of the word you're looking for."

"Whatever. You know what I mean."

"Actually," he shrugged. "Yes. But Jin's got it covered. There aren't many people at this hour anyway."

She looked around her. "Yeah, I could see that."

Just then, Jin came out holding a tray of the lemon iced that Katara had ordered. She set it down in front of her patron. "Here's your drink, miss. Enjoy!" She smiled pleasantly and Zuko made a face.

At first the waitress had disregarded the boy sitting in front of Katara as some random costumer, but when Jin finally took notice of him (he didn't bother hiding himself), she smirked. "Aren't you supposed to be in the kitchen, Lee?"

"'Lee'?" Katara stifled a chuckle.

"Long story," he waved it off.

"Uncle Iroh will be very displeased to see you not doing your job," Jin said. "He may not be in the Dragon right now, but he'd know. I'd tell him."

He leaned dauntingly towards her. "Could you stop being a 'goody-goody' at the moment and cover for me? I did you a favor earlier. This is important."

At the word 'important', Katara frowned unnoticeably. What could be so important?

She could've been a nice girl and complied without any complaint, but Jin was stubborn. "Not until you say 'please'."

Zuko groaned. "Ugh! Fine. _Please…_"

Jin's smirk grew wider and she patted his shoulder. "Of course," she turned to leave, grinning mischievously all the way. "I wouldn't want to interfere with your…_date_." She said slyly over her shoulder.

A blush crept to their faces and Zuko was fast to react before she disappeared into the kitchen. "It's not a date!" He could've sworn he heard his fellow co-worker laughing her ass off at the back of the room.

A few heads turned their way, but Zuko was way too busy hiding his flushed face to notice them. Katara was equally embarrassed at what the waitress had said and she felt herself going stiff. This wasn't a date was it?

_No, of course not! What the heck made you think it was?_

Tentatively, she touched her friend's arm and she felt him flinch slightly. "Hey," she said, the embarrassment earlier slowly dissipating as she found an amused chuckle bubbling within her. "Don't take it seriously, Zuko. She was just joking."

He scoffed, "Yeah. _Joking_." His eyes narrowed and he spat. "Jokes were meant to be funny. That Jin. She just loves poking her nose in other people's business."

"Is she always like that?"

"I don't wanna know about the other side of her personality."

Katara giggled and she slowly removed her hand from his arm to let it rest on the table. Zuko felt the heat momentarily leave his face, but it resurfaced again when he felt the ghost of her hand still on his arm. She bit her lip and looked away slightly before meeting her blue eyes with his. "So… what is this oh-so important thing you want to talk about?"

He scratched his head. "Oh, that." He squared his shoulders before continuing. "I have… this big problem – "

"Zuko, you always have problems."

"– and I need your help this time," he said, completely ignoring what she had said before he got to finish his statement. He sighed and continued."I'm not planning on hiding it 'cause this time, I know that my self-pride needs to take a step back. No matter how big my ego can be."

She drew her eyebrows together. Zuko talking about his ego and needing it to take a step back is a rare thing. At least, she knew it was. Her brother wouldn't even dare admit something like this (just to keep his man-pride), for all she knew.

She took a slow sip on her drink and urged him to go on. And he did (with slight hesitation), telling her everything; from his uncle's leave in just a few days time, to the horrors he thought he would face living with his father and sister, to his father's rejection at the mere thought of him coming to their mansion and living with them, and lastly, to his current situation in dealing with the outcome. When he finished with his explanation, Katara felt her heart melt in sympathy.

"…and, that's why I needed to talk to you… about it," he finished dejectedly. He didn't want to do this (for the sake of his pride), but he had hoped that Katara may have a bit of advice for him, and he fully expected her to say something; anything, anything at all.

The girl nodded solemnly and took another sip from her drink. She didn't really know what to say to him, but she knew he expected her to at least voice something out. So she said the first thing she heard her mind say. "Look, I'm not sure if I'm the right person you should be talking to about this."

He frowned, not really expecting that. Then again, a small part of him was voicing out the reality. "Why not?"

"I…don't really know if I could help you, Zuko."

"What?"

"Look, its hard okay," she said. "I know it's stupid for those people in your uncle's special society to just tell you guys on such a short notice. I mean, did they even consider the people he could have left behind? By people, I mean you? How long will his trip be anyway?"

"About six months… maybe even more."

Katara massaged her temples. "Right. Six months… or more," she slowly looked up to meet his gaze. "That's a long time, Zuko."

The young man sighed. "Look, Katara," he started to say. "This is the reason why I debated on telling you. I didn't want to, but I really felt the need to. I can't hide this. I can't. It's not entirely about the pride of dealing with the problem all on my own – you taught me the right alternative. But," he hesitated. "It's more on the fact that I'm probably giving you the extra burden of my issues to shoulder, which originally, you have no business of doing anyway."

She watched at him carefully, her eyes never losing focus on his tawny orbs. Zuko stared at her with the same intensity, but his features were softer. "Did you talk to your uncle?"

"I did. Every time I get the chance."

"And what did he say?"

He sighed again, and momentarily snatched his gaze from hers. "He said he wanted to help but he hadn't done anything lately. Well, not anything I knew of. I didn't even know he's not here until Jin had mentioned it."

Katara gulped the rest of her drink before saying anything else. This is insane. She knows Zuko's uncle was trying, but a faint part of her was telling her that his efforts weren't quite enough.

"Are you sure he wasn't lying when he said that your dad didn't want you back?"

For a moment there, Zuko's body tensed almost unnoticeably but Katara caught him stiffen. "Yeah… I'm sure," he said, almost uncertainly. "Knowing my '_father'_, I'd rather have Uncle lying than telling me the truth of him wanting me back. Can you imagine? That would've been a miracle," he said mirthlessly, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Not that I think he was lying to me one bit, anyway." Katara already knew that the father and son still hadn't solved their disputes. She faintly wondered how did Zuko get his scar, but she was afraid to ask. He might snap at her if she wasn't careful. It was quite personal, and it was something she shouldn't poke her nose into.

"So you'd rather wish for him not wanting you than accepting you?"

"Well…if you put it that way," his expression hardened. "I'd rather live without a name in an alleyway for the rest of my existence than return to that house, knowing my father pretty much still hasn't changed. Azula's no different either. It'd be suicide to go back. I'd be walking into a slow and painful death."

Katara shook her head at what she just heard. "Zuko, that's – "

"Look, Katara, I'd rather not talk about this. Can we – "

"Zuko, please tell me more. I know it pains you to reminisce, but I need to know," she said pleadingly. "Maybe I could help…"

Katara reached for his hand again and he allowed her to touch him. Her hand was so warm on his. She exhaled a heavy breath before she continued. "Listen. I might not be able to relate to your problems regarding your family issues, but maybe if you'd tell me, I could think of a way to help you. I'd be willing. Please, this is important, Zuko." She squeezed his hand and he looked away.

"What could you possibly want to know? I told you everything."

She bit her lip before seeking his eyes again. "Not everything."

Zuko looked at her incredulously.

With all the courage she could muster, she took a deep breath before she asked him something that she had always wanted to know since the first day she saw him.

"Tell me how you got your scar."

* * *

**To be continued…**


End file.
